Fasting is part of many religions. Most of them practice it as a form of “sacrifice” or a way to cleanse the body of “sins”. Most “white light” religions are masochistic in nature, and they view any kind of indulgence as a bad thing, so denying that pleasure is encouraged by their doctrines.

Satanists practice indulgence and see this kind of self-mortification practices as ridiculous.

But there is also another side to the practice of fasting. Most predatory animals, including us humans, get sloppy and slow when they don’t need to fight for their food. Having more food than we really need, can make our senses dull and our hunting instincts dormant. Temporary depriving our bodies of food makes some of those hidden mechanism start ticking again. A hungry hunter is a better hunter. (Or at least a better motivated one)

I have noticed a moderated reduction of the food intake, or even a total abstinence of food for a short period of time, can result in a sharpening of the senses and even in a state of enhanced mental clarity.

A Satanist takes what is useful from different practices and systems and discards the rest. I would like to know if any one on this board has practiced any kind of fasting with positive results. Like abstaining from eating for some period of time before a ritual, in order to be more alert and tape into the inner reserves of our predatory nature.

I must repeat I’m not talking about starving yourself half to death as the fakirs do in pursuit of spiritual pipedreams, but about an intelligent use of fasting with a practical purpose.

_________________________You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once.Robert A. Heinlein

Sometimes I will not eat for a couple days, just to attain that feeling you described. A sharpening of the senses. A sharpening of the mind.I find it to be most productive, as it reminds me of the animal that I am, and tests my resolve. I do some of my best thinking and creating during these times.

I also do likewise with sleep, from time to time, for similar reasons.

_________________________ "One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike and yet it is the most precious thing we have." - Albert Einstein
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I lightly stress out my system by the once in a while fast.It helps to clean the body/mind of some toxins, as well as gives a slight charge to the body in need of vittles.I am sure to drink plenty fluids though, because dehydration can be tricky, and overly stressfull, as well as dangerous.

The ways I have used it in the context of ritual is;

If I hold a compassion ritual for my gain, my fast acts as my current state of wanting. When I finish the act of ritual and I top it off with a great indulgent feast, it forms the first step of my future gains...a model of what I can expect from my actions and desires. This form is more symbolic, and I only give bio-electrical energy from the stress hardly a thought. The clarity of the purpose of hunger and satisfaction are more important.

The second way light fasting helps is during my bouts of intense anger. I will go into a natural state of not wanting to eat as much when I have a confrontation looming over my horizon, and I do feel more charged and ready. I wake up early, and go to sleep later, and I am a ball of energy. I do feed, but I watch what it is that I eat, so that my levels do not fluctuate, but stay steady. Think Atkins, with large amounts of water. When I have overcome my adversaries, I feast upon my victory.

When done properly, the body will substitute clarity and energy to the reaction of stress, but it must have the balance of a healthy body to act without adverse reactions, as well as a sound mind to moniter the situation for trouble. The symbolic fortification of intent can also lend some added pleasure to the work.

The reasons and rationales for fasting have varied a lot over the years. I won't bother to catalog them. Mostly curiosity about chemical changes in consciousness.

Ketones as neurotransmitters, etc.

My longest fast was about two weeks - less than 100 calories a day, in the form of orange juice and spirulina, plus lots of water. Quite interesting!

Currently, I don't eat for about a day, about once a week, not on any kind of schedule, but just whenever my body says to.

I noticed about twenty years ago that when I do not eat before a highly technical and stressful job, my mind is sharper, I make fewer mistakes, and I work faster. Time seems to expand slightly and I get more done, more easily.

I've yet to combine fasting with any sort of ritual, good idea, thanks.

Finally, all experimental evidence points to mild caloric underconsumption as a sure method of life extension, and is associated with much lower rates of various diseases, so I tend to indulge in areas other than gross consumption of food.